Association of Intrinsic Brain Architecture With Changes in Attentional and Mood Symptoms During Development.
Brain imaging may help identify children at risk for mood and attentional disorders.
Researchers performed resting-state fMRI scans on 94 7-year-olds who had no psychiatric diagnosis and followed them for four years. The researchers found that the children with weaker connectivity between the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex were more likely to develop anxiety or depression symptoms by age 11. Those with stronger connectivity between the medial prefrontal cortex and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex were more likely to develop symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder by age 11.
These resting-state fMRI metrics are promising biomarkers for the early identification of children at risk of developing MDD or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
